1927 Locomobile Model 90

Locomobile is renowned for building one of the greatest American racing car - 'Old Sixteen' and as a builder of extremely high-quality cars for the road. The company's existence traces to June of 1899, when John Brisben Walker, the editor and publisher of Cosmopolitan magazine, joined forces with asphalt paving magnate Amzi Lorenzo Barber. Together they acquired the Stanley Steam Carriage design, along with the talents of the Stanely Brothers for several years. The alliance between Walker and Barber was short-lived, as a quarrel between the two men resulted in them going their separate ways. Lorenzo Barber retained the Locomobile name and eventually relocated from Watertown, Massachusetts, to Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Locomobile grew rapidly, thanks to the brilliant steam carriage, which allowed them to get a foothold in the fledgling motorcar market. Sales were initially strong, but after 1901, it was clear that the market was turning away from the steam carriage. After the Stanley brothers left, Locomobile began work on gasoline-powered automobiles. The early gasoline Locomobiles used multi-cylinder inline engines in a T-head configuration, with designs heavily based on the Mercedes but also with influence from the French Panhard. The rear-mounted transmission sent power to the back wheels via dual chain drive.

The company achieved international accolades when George Robertson piloted 'Old Number 16' to victory at the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup race, becoming the first American-built car to win the prestigious event.

The Model 48 debuted in 1911 and would remain in production for 18 years. The company called it 'The Exclusive Car for Exclusive People,' with the slogan enduring up until the company stopped producing automobiles. It was named after its 48.6-horsepower N.A.C.C. power rating and had a large bore and stroke of 4.5 inches x 5.5 inches. The iron T-head cylinders were cast-in-pairs and bolted to a bronze crankcase, which contained a drop-forged alloy steel crankshaft that was both statically and dynamically balanced and rode in seven main bearings. An aluminum intake manifold mated up with a bronze-bodied carburetor while the gearbox casing was cast in manganese bronze. The exhaust valves were chrome-cobalt steel. Coil and battery ignition ignite dual ignition through a pair of 6-cylinder distributors. The engine was mated to a four-speed transmission - in an era when much of the competition chose to use only 3-speeds.

The Locomobile Model 48's chassis members were pressed from chrome-nickel steel, then heat treated and hot-riveted together, and rode on chrome-nickel-tungsten steel leaf springs, semi-elliptical in the front and 3/4 elliptical at the back.

The Locomobile Model 48 was rivaled only by Pierce-Arrow's own '48' during its early years. Locomobile's Model 48 was America's most expensive automobile until the Springfield-built Rolls-Royce in 1921. The company's engineering was directed by Andrew L. Riker who favored conventional practices and incorporated the era's finest materials.

The Locomobile Model 48 was followed by a new top-of-the-line model, the 90, boasting a modern L-head monobloc six-cylinder engine on a 138-inch-wheelbase platform, slightly smaller than that of the 48. The Model 90 was positioned above the more affordable new Junior 8 line. Its mono-block six-cylinder engine displaced 371.5 cubic inches and produced 86 horsepower (nominally rated at 36 horsepower) and was built at the company's Bridgeport, Connecticut plant.

The Locomobile Model 90 rested on a 138-inch wheelbase while the Junior 8 used a shorter 124-inch wheelbase platform. The price range of the 1927 Model 90 ranged from $5,500 to $7,500 with body styles that included a Tourer, Sportif, roadster, victoria coupe, 5- and 7-passenger sedan, brougham, and cabriolet. The seven-passenger sedan, brougham, and cabriolet were priced at $7,500. The five-passenger sedan was priced at $7,300, the victoria coupe at $6,950, the roadster at $5,900, and the tourer and Sportif at $5,500.

The post-World War I recession crippled many businesses, including the Locomobile Company. The flood of military trucks that came on the market after the war was detrimental to the sale of its Ricker truck line. It fell into the ownership of Hare's Motors which did little to stop the hemorrhaging, and in 1922, Locomobile was acquired by General Motors founder William C. 'Billy' Durant as the jewel in the crown of his new Durant Motors automotive group. The company succumbed to the widening economic chaos following the October 1929 stock panic, entering receivership and eventually closing its doors in 1932 after its parent company, Durant Motors, failed.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022